Hecho en Dumbo’s Corn Smut Quesadillas

May 21, 2010

Hecho en Dumbo started out as a pop-up restaurant in the DUMBO neighborhood of Brooklyn, but it recently moved to the old Marion’s space on the Bowery. It serves reasonably priced, slightly fancied-up, adequate Mexican staples like tacos, tortas, quesadillas, and larger plates.

Huitlacoche (or corn smut!) is a fungal corn disease, producing a foodstuff similar to mushrooms. The bulbous black fungus usually grows where the corn kernels should be, erupting through the corn husk in dramatic fashion. Prized in Mexico, huitlacoche tastes earthy and a bit sweet, with a slippery exterior.

The so-called corn smut quesadillas ($10) at Hecho en Dumbo certainly resemble empanadas more than quesadillas, but they’re tasty nevertheless. Cut through the crisp fried shell and a dark mass of the fungi comes tumbling out, enriched with queso fresco and queso blanco. Spoon on the spicy red salsa for a needed kick.